﻿674 
  SOUTH 
  AMERICAN 
  INDIANS 
  [B. 
  A. 
  E. 
  Bull. 
  143 
  

  

  west 
  than 
  when 
  one 
  travels 
  north 
  or 
  south 
  in 
  the 
  longitudinal 
  valleys. 
  

   The 
  humid, 
  fertile 
  plains 
  to 
  the 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  mountains 
  present 
  a 
  violent 
  

   contrast 
  to 
  the 
  arid 
  semidesert 
  country 
  lying 
  to 
  the 
  west 
  of 
  the 
  moun- 
  

   tains. 
  Within 
  these 
  extreme 
  limits 
  of 
  east 
  and 
  west, 
  in 
  which 
  life 
  

   conditions 
  vary 
  fundamentally, 
  are 
  the 
  mountains 
  proper, 
  where 
  the 
  

   terrain 
  is 
  relatively 
  uniform 
  and 
  the 
  natural 
  resources 
  are 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  equal. 
  However, 
  even 
  the 
  mountains 
  are 
  a 
  varied 
  region. 
  Great 
  

   differences 
  in 
  altitude 
  are 
  encompassed 
  within 
  a 
  relatively 
  small 
  area, 
  

   and 
  climatic 
  change 
  is 
  correlated 
  with 
  altitude. 
  In 
  a 
  few 
  kilometers, 
  

   one 
  may 
  pass 
  from 
  high, 
  rocky, 
  and 
  desolate 
  pampas, 
  covered 
  only 
  

   with 
  gramineous 
  plants, 
  to 
  lower 
  valleys 
  which 
  lack 
  trees 
  but 
  which 
  

   have 
  a 
  pleasant 
  and 
  hospitable 
  aspect 
  and 
  a 
  far 
  more 
  benign 
  climate. 
  

   On 
  these 
  valleys 
  open 
  small 
  lateral 
  quebradas, 
  or 
  secondary 
  valleys, 
  

   formed 
  by 
  the 
  transverse 
  foothills. 
  These 
  quebradas 
  sustain 
  a 
  mag- 
  

   nificent 
  vegetation 
  and 
  are 
  nourished 
  by 
  rivers 
  and 
  streams. 
  Here 
  

   are 
  concentrated 
  all 
  the 
  natural 
  conditions 
  for 
  an 
  exceptionally 
  

   agreeable 
  life. 
  

  

  The 
  numerous 
  streams 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  easily 
  diverted 
  for 
  irrigation 
  

   owing 
  to 
  the 
  pronounced 
  declivity 
  of 
  the 
  land 
  made 
  the 
  region 
  an 
  ideal 
  

   place 
  for 
  simple 
  horticulturists. 
  In 
  each 
  mountain 
  site, 
  the 
  living 
  

   conditions 
  were 
  directly 
  determined 
  by 
  quantity 
  and 
  availability 
  of 
  

   water. 
  In 
  Northwestern 
  Argentina, 
  farming 
  "a 
  temporal' 
  ' 
  (without 
  

   irrigation) 
  is 
  extremely 
  hazardous 
  and 
  succeeds 
  only 
  in 
  exceptional 
  

   years, 
  so 
  that 
  irrigation 
  is 
  vital 
  for 
  agriculture. 
  

  

  The 
  flora 
  of 
  the 
  Sierras 
  de 
  C6rdoba 
  is 
  abundant 
  and 
  varied, 
  and 
  it 
  

   provided 
  the 
  native 
  food 
  collectors 
  with 
  many 
  important 
  items. 
  

   Hunting 
  must 
  also 
  have 
  been 
  economically 
  significant, 
  although 
  no 
  

   single 
  species 
  of 
  the 
  varied 
  mountain 
  fauna 
  had 
  an 
  importance 
  com- 
  

   parable 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  algarroba 
  among 
  vegetable 
  foods. 
  

  

  SOURCES 
  

  

  The 
  country 
  whose 
  natives 
  we 
  intend 
  to 
  study 
  was 
  discovered 
  by 
  

   the 
  companions 
  of 
  the 
  unfortunate 
  Diego 
  de 
  Rojas. 
  After 
  the 
  death 
  

   of 
  de 
  Rojas 
  on 
  the 
  plains 
  of 
  the 
  Salavina, 
  the 
  expedition 
  continued 
  

   under 
  the 
  orders 
  of 
  Francisco 
  de 
  Mendoza. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  chronicles 
  of 
  

   the 
  deeds 
  of 
  this 
  group 
  that 
  we 
  find 
  the 
  earliest 
  information 
  on 
  the 
  

   Sierras 
  de 
  C6rdoba 
  and 
  their 
  inhabitants. 
  

  

  Unfortunately, 
  no 
  direct 
  chronicle 
  of 
  this 
  great 
  expedition 
  has 
  sur- 
  

   vived. 
  Those 
  who 
  took 
  part 
  in 
  it 
  did 
  not 
  write 
  of 
  their 
  adventures, 
  

   although 
  lesser 
  expeditions 
  had 
  official 
  chroniclers. 
  The 
  historians 
  

   of 
  the 
  civil 
  wars 
  of 
  Peru, 
  however, 
  give 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  this 
  episode 
  in 
  

   order 
  to 
  introduce 
  the 
  actors 
  who 
  took 
  part 
  in 
  the 
  Peruvian 
  wars. 
  

   Diego 
  Fernandez 
  (El 
  Palentino), 
  Pedro 
  Gutierrez 
  de 
  Santa 
  Clara, 
  and 
  

   Pedro 
  Cieza 
  de 
  Le6n 
  are, 
  therefore, 
  the 
  accidental 
  chroniclers 
  of 
  the 
  

   expedition. 
  To 
  their 
  accounts 
  must 
  be 
  added 
  a 
  document 
  of 
  great 
  

  

  